Hi all,
On the 5th December 2012, Dr Sue Robinson (DPIPWE) and myself observed
approximately 2000 Banded Stilts at the northern end of Logan Lagoon, Flinders
Island (55G 609616 E, 5552961 S). Feeding in a typical line formation in
shallow water near the centre of the lagoon they were later disturbed by an
unidentified raptor and seen flying in a large mixed flock with 100s of
Australasian Shelducks.
Since our first sighting in February 2012 (see below), it is of note
that there has been only one other sighting of Banded Stilts on Flinders
Island, that of 17-19 October 2012 (DPIPWE). I spoke with the Flinders Island
PWS Ranger and he was unaware of any reports and had not seen the stilts
personally during the intervening period. It is unclear whether the stilts
remained on the island or in the interim, they moved on. The absence of
sightings may be simply due to the lack of survey effort/observations.
The previous report from 24/25th February this year is reprinted here
from Yellow Throat 63, BirdLife Tasmania:
“Two thousand Banded Stilts (Cladorhynchus leucocephalus)
were observed in the north-eastern bay of Logan Lagoon, Flinders Island (55 G
610615 E, 5553839 S) on 24 and 25 February, 2012. They were seen roosting in a
straight line approximately 10 birds deep, 100 metres offshore, in shallow
water. When feeding they moved as one group in a line, wading in the shallows.
The flock was a mixture of adults in breeding and nonbreeding plumage with some
juveniles. No other wader species were seen in the flock. In 2003, between 1000
and 3000 Banded Stilts were seen in this area, travelling around Cameron Inlet,
Logan Lagoon and Adelaide Bay from approximately mid-January through till
March–April. All other Tasmanian sightings of Banded Stilts have been in
numbers fewer than 10. The observers were Liz Znidersic and Dr Sue Robinson
(DPIPWE).”
Kind regards,
Liz
Liz Znidersic
St Helens,
Tasmania. 7216
0409 123 322
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